[Daddy Matters Father's Day Special] Dear Dad

To celebrate the upcoming Father's Day (which falls on the 3rd Sunday of June everywhere EXCEPT FOR of Thailand), I have been challenged by the Daddy Matters Group to come up with a post imagining what Noah would want to tell me if he wrote me a letter. I am one of the youngest Daddies in the group and my son is still blabbering in baby tongue, but I shall take up the challenge anyway.

Dear Daddy

I have been longing for you to understand what I say. My friends in my Babies Genius class like Boss, Plankton, Iphone, Ecclair, Proud, Green and Pause can all communicate with me, why is it so difficult for you to understand me when I try to converse with you everyday? 

See, their names are all so cool, at least they mean something, what does Noah even mean? It sounds like "No ah?" in Singlish. Hello, we are not in Singapore now. I know he is a bright old man in the Bible and built the Ark to save all the cute animals, but I am a baby, not an old man. 

Ok, enough of the complaints, I am not Singaporean anyway, complaining is not in my list of favourite activities. Instead, my favourite activities are hugging Daddy and Mummy, kissing Daddy and Mummy, playing with Daddy and Mummy, singing with Daddy and Mummy and sleeping with Daddy and Mummy!

Favourite time of the day: Yii family laughing minute

I really cannot imagine my life without you peeps. I can't even bear to see Mummy disappear from my sight. During the day, when you are outside doing whatever you are doing (and can't you stay home more often), I just can't control my emotions when she disappears into the toilet or out of the room. I know I make her very frustrated when I scream and cry, but I just can't help it! Help me apologise to Mummy when you can, will you? Please?

Daddy, I love kissing you, especially those long ones on your lips, and those you peck on my cheek during the bedtime stories. However, sometimes I wonder just how many times you want me to kiss you per day. You ask me to kiss you every other minute, and give me a glum face when I am too busy doing something else. I will kiss you as many times as I can ok? You must give me some time to do my stuff. I need to play play play play play.

Play with seesaw also need to kiss you first is it?

With regards to eating, I understand Daddy and Mummy cook healthy food with premium ingredients for me everyday, but they don't taste like anything. I am a big boy now, I want to feed myself like you do. I haven't checked out the bowls and spoons completely yet, so sometimes I make a mess. Just give me some time to explore, I promise I will master self-feeding soon! And please, all those yummy delicious things you are eating everyday, spare some for me leh....

Lastly, Daddy, I think you are must be the happiest Daddy in the world. Why? Because you must be the only Daddy in the world who can celebrate 2 Father's Days every year, one in June and another in December (in conjunction with the King's Birthday in Thailand). Compare that with the others, it's double the fun, double the appreciation, double the joy.

2 Sundays later will be your 3rd Father's Day! I would like to wish you a happy one. You are doing a pretty decent job for a Daddy with no prior experience. Keep it up! I love you very much.

Hugs and kisses

No Ah Yii

The Dilemma of Noah

Noah Potter and his mother

Noah has graduated!

No, not from University of course, but whether or not he actually goes through University here, I have at least seen how he would look like in Thailand's pretty graduation gown, thanks to his playgroup's clever gesture of sending off every kid to a more advanced class with an 'elaborate' graduation ritual.

This was certainly a moment worth celebrating (at least it was made to feel so), but after looking at Noah's picture pasted on the wall of the school, he didn't look happy about it at all.

What a glum face

After taking a step back to look at the full picture, I finally understood why.

He can't choose between his triplet of girlfriends, who are following him into the next class!

Sigh, poor Noah, he has his own cute little dilemmas.

Seems like looking too handsome is not such a good thing after all!

The Dilemma of Fatherhood

Dear Noah

You are 15 months old now.

Time flies. I still remember watching you gaze into my eyes for the first time in your life in the hospital's nursery after your first ever bath.

But no, maybe I don't remember anymore. Sometimes, when I look at your chubby face chuckling at me baring all your 8 front teeth in full glory, I can no longer picture how you looked 15 months ago, 12 months ago, or even 6 months ago. Oh, those precious memories, hidden deep in my heart, why do I struggle to find them when I want to?

Did you look like that? I almost cannot remember already.

These couple of months, the babies we know around your age all began walking. You simply watch them  without showing much interest. Teachers/Neighbours alike started to apply peer pressure to push you to start walking. We did not buckle, and gave you your own time. Seriously, it does not matter to Daddy and Mummy. You are a clever boy. You can walk when you feel like it, and talk when you are ready. You can stay snug in Daddy's embrace for as long as you want.

Those were the days...... 

If I have a time machine, I will freeze every precious moment we have together and live in the world with just you and Mummy.

If I have a choice, I will keep you as little baby Noah, because I can no longer envision life without your shrieks of pure joy.

But that's not going to happen. You are growing at a pace faster that I can imagine. I dread the day that you will run on your own and reject my hugs. I am fearful of the future when you are no longer willing to accompany me when I finally have more time to spend with you.

Relax Noah, slow down. Take your own sweet time to grow up. Stop once in a while to smell the roses and roll in the grass. The adult world is more complicated than you think. Enjoy your childhood while you can.

You are starting to walk with support now

We will be with you every step of the way.

Love
Daddy

The Nicest Taxi Driver in Bangkok

I have always told people that for the quality of the vehicle (usually Toyota Corolla Altis) and level of service, Bangkok definitely has the most value-for-money taxi system in the world. That said, the drivers here are not perfect. Especially in the bustling city where millions of tourists hang out every year, drones of opportunistic taxi drivers roam around choosing customers who are willing to pay them inflated fares they don't deserve to earn.

I have had my fair share of frustrations with taxi drivers over the last few years, particularly when I try to get home from the city because I don't look Caucasian enough, but yesterday, on Labour Day 2013, my heart was completely melted by a customer-choosing cab driver whom I will now identify as Khun Longan.

My family and I were waiting for the taxi under the scorching sun outside Paradise Park amongst a pretty big crowd of people. As it was the 1st of the month (payday for most Thais) and a public holiday, getting a cab was impossible. Not even 1 empty cab was in sight. The old Thai lady standing in front of me then told me (in perfect Mandarin) that everyone standing or sitting around was waiting for cabs. At that instant, my heart sank a little.

Barely a minute later, a cab stopped at the taxi stand. 2 young thai teenagers rushed forward and attempted to get in. However, before their butts could touch the seat, they had to turn around to shout at me (I was a good 20metres away). With my poor understanding of the language, it sounded something like, "SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING THE LADY WITH THE BABY!"

Noah, our lucky star, weaved his magic again. We could not believe our luck! The old lady in front of us smiled kindly at me as we bypassed her to get into the cab. Khun Longan then told us that in this situation, he will have to give priority to pregnant ladies and families with babies as he cannot imagine how long we might potentially have to wait there.

Now who says drivers who choose their customers are all nasty?

Not my most flattering pic, but the focus is on Khun Longan, the kindest cabby in town!

Bangkok is a city that never fails to surprise me every other day. It can give me the worst of frustrations today, then massage my heart with the warmest of comforts tomorrow. There is never a predictable moment.

If you are still wondering why I continue to call myself the Stranger in Bangkok after nearly 4 years, I hope you have already found the answer.